Capital punishment for the deserving

[mexi cali]

I would challenge the view that capital punishment is at all barbaric.

I would agree. It is done as humanely as possible and the victim feels nothing more than fear.

I think that we need to stop thinking about capital punishment as a deterrent. It clearly is not, the facts back that up.

In my mind it cannot be thought of this way. It is merely a punishment meted out for the commission of a crime or crimes deemed to be heinous enough to warrant the charge. In other words, it is merely an extension of the justice system and the penalties that can be imposed.

It's a tough debate though. The reality is that there is no perfect answer to the question "what do we do with our criminals"?

Incarceration is costly. Why then not set up a penal system that makes the incarcerated earn their keep so to speak?

Innocent people should neither be incarcerated nor executed but they are. It happens. The vast majority of those in prison though belong there so should that be enough to bring back the death penalty? The record is as good as it's going to get so if a couple of innocents get caught up in the parade, simply consider it collateral damage.

I don't know.

I do however believe that there are specific members of our group who in my opinion gave up their civil rights and have admirably demonstrated that they hold no value for human life whatsoever and I do believe that I could pull the lever if convinced of their lack of morality and conscience in the interest of the preservation of productive human life.

No harshness nor bravado nor machismo. Simply tired to the flaws in the system and the endless appeals process and the waste of time, money and energy on those who wouldn't pea on you if you were on fire.

[Lady tehMa]

Incarceration is costly. Why then not set up a penal system that makes the incarcerated earn their keep so to speak?

Innocent people should neither be incarcerated nor executed but they are. It happens. The vast majority of those in prison though belong there so should that be enough to bring back the death penalty? The record is as good as it's going to get so if a couple of innocents get caught up in the parade, simply consider it collateral damage.

I don't know.

I do however believe that there are specific members of our group who in my opinion gave up their civil rights and have admirably demonstrated that they hold no value for human life whatsoever and I do believe that I could pull the lever if convinced of their lack of morality and conscience in the interest of the preservation of productive human life.

No harshness nor bravado nor machismo. Simply tired to the flaws in the system and the endless appeals process and the waste of time, money and energy on those who wouldn't pee on you if you were on fire.

I agree with the idea that the offenders should earn their keep. I also believe that a key concept here is that those who offend, DO give up their civil rights. No cable, nothing more than bare subsistence existence is all society should offer. Add that to whatever work they can provide to earn their keep; I believe that would be fair recompense to society. Perhaps if a death is involved, their wages could go to the family left behind . . .

[annexi]

This is a really great thread topic and related to something I've been mulling for some time. As a firm believer in the necessity of bringing more love into the world rather than more violence, I still wonder if there is a time and place for violence, like the violence of an execution. Does a framework of love allow for the execution of someone?

[mexi cali]

Yes. If you are a Christian, look no further than God to answer your question.

God is all about love but certainly has no issue with taking care of business when he/she has to.

Love is meant to be shared and has to be offered equally by everyone. There are many who have no love to offer and many of those seek to take what they cannot have from others because they cannot have it.

Often times what they take is life. Those individuals qualify.

[annexi]

Indeed, the bible provides many examples where life is extinguished by God in a manner understood as righteous.

Let's assume there are instances where to kill someone can serve a greater good and thus fit into a framework of love as the force that guides our actions. Killing a rotten unrepentant serial murderer or killing in self-defence can admittedly seem acceptable and perhaps even necessary within this framework but what about less clear cut examples, like the woman who shoots her husband because she's tired of being beat? Who decides, who among us has the authority to judge who is deserving of death?

[fvkasm2x]

I would be all for the Death Penalty, if we could do it in a cost effective manner.

The amount it costs is unreal. The appeals and court issues alone is ridiculous.

It would be nice if we could just bring back the firing squad. After 3 strikes you are done. You are done before that, depending on your crime. No appeals, no waiting once found guilty.

No I don't care about a few innocent people, if you are killing thousands of guilty ones in the process.

[mexi cali]

I get where you're coming from but it's harsh to say that you don't care. It matters where mistakes are made that cause the loss of innocent life but it is inevitable.

[Glacier]

The *bleep* going on down at the prison site has generated a joke or two. The government is demanding a massive electrical service that FortisBC does not supply, and so people were wondering why on earth a prison needs such a large service. The only thing anyone has come up with is that the electric chair they plan to install requires 1 MVA (1 million watts) of power.

[fvkasm2x]

I get where you're coming from but it's harsh to say that you don't care. It matters where mistakes are made that cause the loss of innocent life but it is inevitable.

I believe in the greater good. If a few innocent people get caught in the crossfire to benefit all of mankind, so be it.

[annexi]

The *bleep* going on down at the prison site has generated a joke or two. The government is demanding a massive electrical service that FortisBC does not supply, and so people were wondering why on earth a prison needs such a large service. The only thing anyone has come up with is that the electric chair they plan to install requires 1 MVA (1 million watts) of power.

This is potentially a creepy and ominous development. Is what you say factually true Glacier, that the government is demanding the new RCMP building be supplied with 1 MVA of power?

[JayByrd]

Yes. If you are a Christian, look no further than God to answer your question.

God is all about love but certainly has no issue with taking care of business when he/she has to.

True that. But I'm not sure we've been granted the same authority.

[Nasturtium]

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/capital-punishment/

There has been a vigorous public debate over whether capital punishment should be reinstated. Those in favour claim it is an effective deterrent to homicide. However, the majority of studies in Western societies conclude that murder rates have remained stable or declined, along with decreasing use of capital punishment. Neither abolition nor the re-introduction of capital punishment have been shown to affect homicide rates significantly.

Duplicate post from Deedly Crisis looms - Canadians polled in 2016 want capital punishment reinstated - Huffington Post


Resharng - cairns2016
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/07/09/death-penalty-canada_n_10908940.htm

[Silverstarqueen]

Here is something to consider re: capital punishment. Suppose you are one of a few hostages with some maniacal guy wielding a gun. He has already shot someone dead. So scenario with capital punishment: He has nothing to lose now, he is already getting the death penalty for shooting someone, what difference does it make if he shoots one more or three more? What does the negotiator have to bargain with to get the remaining souls out alive? Nothing.
Or you have a rapist, child molestor. He can kill his victim leaving no witnesses. Once he's killed one, with capital punishment, he might as well kill all future victims, he won't get a worse penalty than death.
Cops go in to nab some bad guys, One cop is shot and killed. What is to deter the criminals from shooting as many as possible?

[Nasturtium]

Morality -
Difference between murder, 2nd degree murder, life in jail, or making a deal

Pedo perp no deals. Home safe and sound.

The country will castrate you - jury will convict.

How much more of a creep do YOU choose to be - that, is what YOU LEFT for your family and loved ones to live with, for the rest of their lives

[youjustcomplain]

I believe in the greater good. If a few innocent people get caught in the crossfire to benefit all of mankind, so be it.

Oh how caring of you. Lets say it was your dad, mom, sister, brother, friend, son, daughter or even yourself caught in the crossfire? You just going to agree that the wrongful execution is for the greater good?
Arguments fall apart as soon as the one making it stands to lose something out of it.